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Desenberg Building
Photo: Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons · tap to enlarge
National Register of Historic Places

Desenberg Building

Also known as Schau-Powell Sport Centre

On the National Register since 197947 years
Listed 1979Kalamazoo
DirectionsAdd an old photo

Many listed buildings are private homes. Please enjoy them from the street.

About

About Desenberg Building

Desenberg Building, at 251 E. Michigan Ave., was added to the National Register of Historic Places on Aug 13, 1979. It was among the first 5 of Kalamazoo’s 42 listings. The Register lists it for its architecture, at the state level. Six more Register listings are within a quarter mile.

What it isCommercial building in Michigan. From Wikidata (CC0). Read about it on Wikipedia ↗

PDFRead the original nominationThe form that put it on the Register, with its history, photos and a map · 65 MB · National Archives↗
Through the years

1885 to today

  1. 1885Built, designed by Adler & Sullivan
  2. 1979Added to the National Register of Historic Places
  3. 2026On the Register for 47 years
Visit

Make it a walk: 5 landmarks in about 10 minutes

251 E. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo · about 0.4 miles on foot, as the crow flies

DirectionsWalk the tour in Google Maps
  1. 1Desenberg BuildingStart here
  2. 2Haymarket Historic DistrictDistrict · next door
  3. 3Haymarket Historic District (Boundary Increase II)Italianate · 0.1 mi on
  4. 4Lawrence and Chapin BuildingSecond Empire · Built 1870 · 0.2 mi on
  5. 5Masonic Temple BuildingBuilding · next door
Around it

13 more Register listings within half a mile

★ National Historic Landmark · D district · B building · S site. Each opens its own page.

BUpjohn Company Office BuildingBuilding0.2 miBRickman HotelClassical Revival · Built 19070.2 miBIsaac Brown HouseItalianate · Built 18670.3 miBState Theatre (Additional Documentation)Built 19270.3 miBMichigan Central DepotRichardsonian Romanesque · Built 18870.3 miBHenry Gilbert HouseQueen Anne · Built 18880.4 miBLadies Library Association BuildingBuilt 18790.4 miBDavid Lilienfeld HouseQueen Anne · Built 18780.4 miBUnited States Post OfficeBuilding0.4 miDBronson Park Historic DistrictGothic Revival0.4 miBOld Fire House No. 4Late Victorian · Built 18870.4 miBWelsh, William L., TerraceColonial Revival · Built 18950.5 miBThe MarlboroughBuilt 19230.5 mi

Memories of Desenberg Building

The record says what it is. Neighbors know what it means.

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Questions about Desenberg Building

Is Desenberg Building on the National Register of Historic Places?

Yes. It was added on Aug 13, 1979 (Register number 79001158).

Is Desenberg Building a National Historic Landmark?

No. It is on the National Register; Michigan has 37 National Historic Landmarks.

Can you visit Desenberg Building?

Our record doesn’t say whether it is open to visitors. Many listed buildings are private, so it may only be seen from the street.

Where can I read the history of Desenberg Building?

In its National Register nomination, the form that put it on the Register: a 65 MB PDF at the National Archives, linked on this page.

Sources: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places (05/22/2026) · National Archives catalog record 25339629 · Wikidata. Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors.